Highest Awards
Bronze. Silver. Gold. These represent the highest honors a Girl Scout in Girl Scouts of the USA can earn. All three awards give a Girl Scout the chance to do big things while working on an issue that’s captured her interest in a big way. Bronze Award The Bronze Award is the third highest award in Girl Scouts of the USA. It was introduced by GSUSA in 2001, and can only be earned by Junior Scouts. Prerequisites Girls must be in 4th or 5th grade (or equivalent), be a registered Girl Scout Junior, and have completed a Junior Journey before they can begin work on a Bronze Award project. Bronze Award steps # Go on a Girl Scout Junior Journey. # Build your Girl Scout Junior team. # Explore your community. # Choose your Girl Scout Bronze Award project. # Make a plan. # Put your plan in motion. # Spread the word. Junior Journey There are currently seven Junior Journey programs to choose from. All badges in the Journey must be earned for the Journey to be complete. * Agent of Change. It's Your World, Change It! (three badges, sold as a complete set) ** Power of One Award ** Power of Team Award ** Power of Community Award * Get Moving! It's Your Planet, Love It! (three badges, sold as a complete set) ** Energize Award ** Investigate Award ** Innovate Award * aMUSE! It's Your Story, Tell It! (three badges, sold as a complete set) ** Reach Out! Award ** Speak Out! Award ** Try Out! Award * Think Like a Citizen Scientist (two badges, sold separately) ** Junior Think Like a Citizen Scientist Award ** Junior Take Action Award * Think Like a Programmer (two badges, sold separately) ** Junior Think Like a Programmer Award ** Junior Take Action Award * Think Like an Engineer (two badges, sold separately) ** Junior Think Like an Engineer Award ** Junior Take Action Award * Outdoor Journey (four badges, sold separately) ** Junior Camper ** Animal Habitats ** Eco Camper ** Junior Take Action Award Bronze Award Project The Bronze Award Project is a team effort by a group of Juniors, usually from a single troop. The project's objective must be to benefit the local community and/or benefit Girl Scouting as a whole in some way. Each scout is expected to contribute 20 hours to the project. The project is to be girl-led, but, unlike the Silver and Gold Awards, adults may be on-hand to assist and guide. Approval The approval process varies by council. Before beginning work on a Take Action Project or a Bronze Project, it is important to check with the local council. Silver Award The Silver Award is the second highest award of the Girl Scouts of the USA, and the highest award that a Cadette Scout can earn. Prerequisites A girl must be in 6th, 7th or 8th grade (or equivalent), be a registered Girl Scout Cadette, and have completed a Cadette Journey before she can begin work on a Silver Award project. Cadette Journey There are currently four Cadette Journey programs to choose from. All badges in the Journey must be earned for the Journey to be complete. * Cadette Amaze Journey (three badges, sold as a set) ** Interact ** Diplomat ** Peacemaker * Cadette Breath Journey (three badges, sold as a set) ** Aware ** Alert ** Affirm * Cadette MEdia Journey (three badges, sold as a set) ** Monitor ** Influence ** Cultivate * Cadette Outdoor Journey (four badges, sold separately) ** Night Owl ** Trailblazing ** Primitive Camper ** Take Action Silver Award Steps # Identify an issue you care about. # Build your Girl Scout Silver Award team or decide to go solo. # Explore your community. # Pick your Silver Award project. # Develop your project. # Make a plan and put it into motion. # Reflect, share your story, and celebrate. Silver Award Project The Silver Award Project can be done as an individual or as a small group. The project's objective must be to benefit the community in some way. Each Girl Scout is expected to contribute 50 hours to the project. The project is to be girl-led, but adults can advise and assist when necessary. Although the general guidelines have been established by GSUSA, it is important to check with the local Council on exact procedure. Approval The approval process varies by council. Before beginning work on a Take Action Project or a Silver Project, it is important to check with the local council. Gold Award The Gold Award is the highest achievement within the Girl Scouts of the USA, earned by Senior and Ambassador Girl Scouts. Only 5.4% of eligible Girl Scouts successfully earn the Gold Award. History Girl Scout's highest award was created in 1916 and has gone through changes over the years. Golden Eaglet of Merit: 1916 to 1918 This award was a pin of an eagle with its wings spread, on a red, white, and blue ribbon. Golden Eaglet: 1919 to 1938 In 1919 the name of the award was changed to the Golden Eaglet. Requirements for the award ranged through the years from earning 14 out of 17 specific badges, earning the Medal of Merit, earning a different number of badges, and the acceptance of a letter of Commendation instead of the Medal of Merit. The award itself changed from the spread-winged eagle and ribbon to an eagle with half-furled wings and a "G" and an "S" on either side of its head.2 The founder of Girl Scouts, Juliette Gordon Low, wrote in November 1923: “The five requirements for winning the Golden Eaglet are character, health, handicraft, happiness and service, and that others will expect to find in our Golden Eaglet a perfect specimen of girlhood: mentally, morally, and physically.” First Class: 1938 to 1940 In 1938 the Golden Eaglet changed to the First Class Award. Curved Bar: 1940 to 1963 This award was earned by Intermediate Scouts who had already earned the First Class Award and were the way to bridge to Senior rank. Because of the shortage of metal during WWII, at first the award was a curved embroidered patch worn on the uniform. In 1947, the Curved Bar pin was introduced.5 First Class: 1963 to 1980 In 1963 the award went back to being called First Class.4 Requirements for earning the First Class Award changed over the 17 years it was offered. Beginning in 1963, Cadette Scouts were required to earn four Challenges, plus at least six badges in specific areas: * Social Dependability * Emergency Preparedness * Active Citizenship * Girl Scout Promise In 1972, eight new Challenges were offered: * Arts * Community Action * Environment * International Understanding * Knowing Myself * My Heritage * Out-of-Doors * Today's World The Scout was permitted to choose any four of the twelve Challenges. In addition to the four Challenges, a Scout was required to earn at least one badge in each of six areas: * Arts * Home * Citizenship * Out-of-Doors * Health and Safety * International Understanding Alternately, from 1972 to 1980, a Scout could earn any seven of the twelve Challenges, with no badge requirements. Gold Award: 1980 to present In 1980 the Gold Award was introduced. In 1990, National Council Session delegates approved a proposal which would keep the name of the Gold Award in perpetuity. Until 2004, requirements for earning the award were: * Earning the Girl Scout Gold Leadership Award, which requires girls to complete 30 hours of leadership work, as well as earn three Interest Projects and one Focus Book relevant to their project. * Earning the Girl Scout Gold Career Award, which requires girls to complete 40 hours of career exploration. * Earning the Girl Scout Gold 4Bs Challenge, which required girls to assess their community and its needs, and develop a vision for change. Up to 15 hours work on the 4Bs challenge could be counted toward the 65 hours for the service project. Requirements 2010 to present * Complete two Girl Scout Senior or Ambassador Journeys, or complete one Girl Scout Senior or Ambassador journey and have earned the Silver Award. * Plan and implement an individual "Take Action" project that reaches beyond the Girl Scout organization and provides a sustainable, lasting benefit to the girl's larger community. Once these steps have been met, girls use their vision for change to complete a service project that reaches beyond the Girl Scout organization and provides lasting benefit to the girl's larger community. It requires a minimum of 80 hours of work in planning and actually completing the project. All of these hours must be completed by the Awardee, and though it is encouraged that the girl use troop members and others from the community to help her, their time spent does not count towards her 80-hour requirement. Plans must be developed with the aid of an advisor, then a project proposal must be submitted and approved by the girl's local council before starting the project, and a final report submitted and approved after the project's completion. Insignia The Gold Award emblem is presented as a pin resembling an eight-pointed gold star with rays radiating from a central, polished trefoil. After earning the Gold Award Recipients of the Gold Award who enlist in the U.S. Armed Forces may receive advanced rank in recognition of their achievements. Some universities and colleges offer scholarships to Gold Award recipients. Yearly, GSUSA selects ten girls to be National Young Women of Distinction based on their Gold Award projects. Notable recipients * Betsy Boze, Senior Fellow at American Association of State Colleges and Universities and President, The College of The Bahamas and Kent State University Stark * Jan Hopkins, financial news anchor for CNN (earned the Curved Bar, a Girl Scout Gold Award predecessor) * Natalie D. Hardy, first African American Girl Scout to receive the Golden Eaglet award, as a member of Troop 24, New Haven, Connecticut, the first African American Girl Scout Troop in the country, founded by Laura Belle McCoy. * Melissa McHenry, 2015 Gold Award Recipient, former member of Troop 2188, ELLM Association and Lifetime Member of Girl Scouts. Category:Girl Scouts of the USA Category:Girl Scouts Category:Highest Awards